Folding walker



Sept-[221931. v M; PETERslME FOLDING WALKER Filed Feb. l0. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY Sept; 22, 193.1. l. M. PETERSIME FOLDING WALKER Filed Feb. l0. 1930 2 Sheets-She@ i [N VEN TOR IgA M- Perf-z s/ME.

A TTORNE Y` Patented Sept. 22, 1,931!

, l UNETED; STATS IRA 1 MQ? rn'rnRsnt-E, or '.GETrYsBUnG, 4omo Y FoLDrNG Application filed February ,Seriali n 4275.389.

This invention relates to eXercisers or walking apparatus' for use in bedrooms, bathrooms and otherplaces where apparatus of this kind can bejconvenientlyused and where the space is small.y p j It is the object of this invention to provide -an exerciser or walking, apparatus which the main frame 1s formed oft'wo parts pivotally connected together so that one part maybe folded upon the other for the purpose of storage, "with the lhandle telescoped therein, and when so folded the whole apparatus maybe placed under a small table,

or other similar article where thespace is l5 small. ,y i y y It is particularly the object of this inveny tion `to provide an exerciser or Vwalker equipped with a traveling belt operated by a motor. This belt is adapted to receive a person thereon, and during the operation of the motor the belt travels and the person on the belt walks to prevent falling, and for the purpose of aiding in preventing the falling of the person on the belt a support is provided near one end of the frame.

There is shown in the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment of this linvention.

Referring to the drawings:`

Figure 1 is a side elevation. n

Figure 2 is a front end view.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1, with the exception that the rear is folded upon the front part of the apparatus. p

Figure 4 is a top plan viewfwith the traveling belt partly removed.

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

This apparatus is composed of a frameV .member formed into two sections, a front section and a rear section. The frame'as a whole is substantially rectangular and ,has side walls 1 on eachlside of the front section, which extend forward, as indicated by the numeral 1, to form supports fora platform.

The rear section has side walls 2. These sections are united by invisible hinges 3. These` hinges are soV attached to the two sections that they are substantially outof sight, and

a belty 13 for thepurpose ofA 'rotating vthe A roller ,10, duetoithe operation'of the motor 7 L .positionp'shiown in Figure 1 or inthe folded positionfshownfin F i'gureV 3.` The' rearside members are'conn'ected at the rear end ofthe f frame vby lmeans a lrear wall 4, while the front side members are connected by 1a front wall.`

Theplatform on theV vfront part' of the front side walls is indicated by the numeral 6,?and'supports a motor 7 which has a shaft 8. On the yend of the shaft'is a pulley 9 '60 for the purposel of operating the apparatus. On the rear of theframeis a drive rollerf 10 supported inftheg sidej walls vbyfmeans of trunnions 11. l This roller is in the rear end of the rear section, and has extending ther'e-v 65' from a shaft carrying a. pulley 12; lThis shaft is a continuationof oneof the trunnions'that supports the ends of this roller. From the pulley 9 to the pulleyv 12 extends Y Y o On the lfrontend of the front side walls is a front roller 1`4-of substantiallythe same size that" rolierflO is, and betweenthese two rollers isa series of transversely arranged 75 belt-supporting rollers 15, which are smaller in diameter than the rollers lOvand 14 but have' their yupper surfaces in line lwith the upper surfaces of rollers' 10 and 14'ffor the purpose of supporting' the'belt 16'V in a 80 straight horizontaliposition.' f

Suitably varranged adjacent the motor is amhandle bar 17. rFor the purpose of re Y ceiving the ends of this handle, whichl'is A U.shaped,.there are sockets 4'18. -The handle 85 baris located within these sockets so that the person., standing "onffthe Y traveling belt maygbalance himself. and prevent falling when` the belt is traveling, kdue tothe operas tion ofythemoto-r. In the folded ,position this yhandlefbar is in the., .position shownin Figure 3, fandfor that purpose. thereY is providedinfthe rear section sockets 19 which receive theends of the handle barY for fold-` ingpurposea y VVshownfin Figure Bthejapparatus is in folded condition' so that i it may be placed under a-smalll table, or any othery 'place where there is ag 'small amount-z of' room', for the purposeoff'gettingf the apparatus?outof the v 100 CII Way or out of sight until it is needed for use again. When the apparatus is needed it is removed from its place of storage, the rear section is folded backward so that it rests in line with the front section, as shown in Figure 1. At this time the belt 13 is engaging the two pulleys 7 .and 12.

Upon the operation of the-motorl the belt 16 is caused to travel in a rearward v'direction over the supporting rollers 15, 'and in order to balance himselfupontheitraveling belt the person standing thereon Walks for- 'Ward with his hands upon the upperend of the handle bar. This operation is con-' tinnen a suicient length. of time V'to' 'give' Y the person the desired orrequired ammint of exercise, after which the' motor is cutoff, the apparatus folded and stored in its accustomedposition. 1 The hinges Bare so located that they lare substantially koutvof sight, both when the frameis in its extended position secure by Letters Patent, is:

and when it is in its folded position. 5 By that Ymeans they afford no obstruction to the feetfof the person standing upon thetread or traveling belt during the process of exer-` I i I desire to comprehend Within my invenbelt around said rollers adapted to travel as the rollers rotate, means for causing the rollers to rotate, and a U-shaped hand support extending up from one section when the sections are in extended condition and supportedby the other section parallel to theirst section When the sections are folded. 5.V YIn a folding Walker, a frame composed ofsections pivoted to each other, said frame being normally in an extended condition but adaptedto'. be folded with one section on the other,'one section having in one end a pai-rief -vertical holes and the other sect-ion a airof horizontal holes in one end, a traveling member supported by said frame and adapted to be folded with the frame, means to` cause said traveling member to travel, andV a .U-sh aped hand support adapted to be supported by the first-named holes when the fra-me is ,in extended condition and adapted to be supported by the last-named holes when the frame is in folded condition.

In testimony whereof, I aiix my signaT ture.

IRA M.- .PETERSIME tion such ymodifications as may be clearly emi braced Within my claims and Athe scope of myinvention. j Having thus. fully described my invention,lwhat"I claim is new and desire to l. In a folding Walker,i a portableA frame having sections adapted to fold one on the other, a platform*extendingcfrom onesecf tion, a motor on` said platform, a roller on opposite vends of each section, abe/1t On said rollers adapted to be moved thereby," lidler rollers on said frame engaging the underside 4of the upper loop of said belt, means connectingthe motor to one ofthe end rollers forcausing the belt to travel, and a hand support on .one of said Sections.

2, In a folding Walker, a portable `frame formed of sections pivoted one to Aanother and adapted to Vbe folded one upon the other, a plurality of rollers mounted in each section, a belt on said rollers, a motor supf ported onone;of lsaid sections,- andV means Y connecting said motor to one of said rollers for causingsaid.belt.to;travel. ,Y

3. In a 'foldinglivalken' a frame composed ofzpivotally vunited sections adapted tofold one on another, a roller 'mounted on' each section, a belt onlsaid rollers, mea-ns to rotate one of said rollers to cause the belt Vto folded one jon another, a rollerino,un te.d. .on i

tended aligned vposition but-adaptedtobe f llll 

